


meant to be born

by solfix



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Action & Romance, Canon Rewrite, Cloud Strife is a Simp, F/M, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Gen, M/M, Minor Rufus Shinra/Tseng, Multi, Original Character-centric, Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII) Being An Asshole, Serious, Turks (Compilation of FFVII), slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:54:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28263486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solfix/pseuds/solfix
Summary: Fate had meddled in history before.A child is born and they are not who they were meant to be. Friendships are formed and where they should have been severed a heart holds tight.Can Shinras mistake also be its redemption?As Canon Compliant as possible (with the addition of my OC) - an alternate timeline that starts at the same time as the remake and will follow along. I've been thinking a lot about what could have happened if the people Sephiroth loved had lived and what that could mean for the story. Will be some romance, slow burn only, maybe NSFW at some point, but mostly action and me exploring the lore using my oc as guiniea pig.
Relationships: AVALANCHE & Shinra, Cloud Strife/Original Female Character(s), Hojo & President Shinra (Compilation of FFVII), Rufus Shinra & The Turks, Rufus Shinra/Tseng, Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII)/Original Female Character(s), Zack Fair & Angeal Hewley & Genesis Rhapsodos & Sephiroth & Cloud Strife
Kudos: 3





	1. Birth, Death and Birth again.

Professor Hojo was scum, it was agreed among most everyone at Shrina. But people had to be paid one way or the other, they had families to care for and a life of their own to lead. It all cost gil. So my birth was not something so out of the ordinary, a bundle of cells placed into the woman paid to birth me and brought into the world by people on Shinra's payroll. Hojo realised after the success of project S that it was far more effective to create Soldiers from conception rather than trying to mold already formed humans - so the births in the sprawling laboratory were nothing new, and not much cause for particular celebration. 

Though mine sent shockwaves, mostly of disappointment and stupefaction. I was born a girl in a laboratory whose sole purpose was to create little boys to grow up to kill. So how could a mistake like this be made? The scans were clear enough, the embryo chosen carefully and the pregnancy dutifully monitored so there should have been no surprises. Yet there I was. After some initial tantrums, Hojo came around, he is quick to find the intrigue in mistakes. Would I be as strong? Would I survive infancy? He had never considered the possibilities. What about a child born by myself and another of the Soldiers? A full breed of sorts.

I was cared for gently, as careful and loving an infancy as was able to be provided. Sure, I was poked and prodded but not as much as the others, and I was allowed around the building to play. Let loose on the administrative department I was tearing through the floor, tugging on the ankles of people working dutifully, flicking through files I could barely read and making an all round mess. But I didn’t have a name for the longest time - “girl”, “child” or my favorites were the sweet names the receptionist to the upper floors would call me such as “petal” and “little dolly”. I didn’t consider the need for a name, my childhood wasn’t spent around other children, there was no need to be introduced and so I just was. I simply existed. 

I turned thirteen and all of that went away very quickly. The rings of my eyes burned a deep indigo where they used to just be black. The soft brown of my iris deepened and became almost void of color at all, an awful empty look as if my pupils had dilated completely. Of course, I thought this was some crummy puberty thing, but it turns out that the genetics given to me by Project S had not failed in my small body, but had lay dormant. My hair grew fast, long and as raven as my new eyes. My muscles toned and sleek and wholly unusual on someone of my age. I was extremely fast, if I didn’t want to be somewhere my minders were hard pressed to catch up to me and then it simply became impossible to control me at all. 

Hojo was delighted, and hastily moved me into the official program. He needed to give me a name, as I was a special case he said, and didn’t want to simply give me a number. He lamented my independence and wondered how he could break me. He thought of who I should be given to. His train of thought was hard to follow at that age, and all I was interested in was what my name would be. It was the first time I was going to have a name after all. 

“You are the first born female of Project S - yes, yes. That would be most fitting.” He scrawled onto a sheet before handing it over to a man in a suit. An eyebrow was raised behind Hojos back and nothing further was said.

“What is my name?” I said, ignored by both men. I can still feel the annoyance, the need to be recognised. I couldn’t be named and be left in the dark! I slammed my fist into the table which sent small splintering cracks through the sterile thick plastic. 

“You must behave, Seraphina.” 

There it was, my name forever and a name I am desperately trying to reclaim out of the tragedy that followed. The sister name of Sephiroth, though I didn’t know at the time. My only disappointment in the moment was that I wasn’t called Lucy like the receptionist or Amanda like the girl that delivered flowers (before the flowers all but died) to decorate the office every morning. The one who would always leave a single flower for me to take to my room. I thought names symbolised who you were, so to be kind I must have had to be a Lucy or an Amanda. I still do believe that, in many ways. So my name and not my birth fated me to this life. The name given to me by Hojo.

-

Years later, I am asleep and then I awake. All my friends are dead is the first thought that pops into my head as the glass case shrieks and cracks, the amniotic fluid suspending my body leaking out. Just as quickly the thought goes and I am alert, my eyes open with some effort (they must have been closed for quite a while) and I just miss the figure leaving the room seeing only the flick of a jacket as it billows from the entrance and is gone. 

Fist balling instinctively and fighting the resistance from the slowly draining fluid I strike three times at the crack eventually smashing though and stumbling out, straining for breath as I rip the tubes from my body. Gagging, I pull the tube up through my mouth and out of my stomach I fling it across the room and assess.   
I am not in Hojos facility, at least not one accessed by personnel. No alarms are sounding but the more I look around the more I realise I was meant to be secure - and it looked like nobody had been in here for a while. Legs slowly learning to walk again I grab papers with my still sticky hands and note the date. It seems to be three years in the future, but the dust settled on the desks and the files led me to believe that these were old themselves. How long have I been out?

Sephiroth had just burned Nibelheim, I was taken back by the turks and was tranquillised. I was out of control with grief. I was with Rufus for a moment, but I can’t remember why and for how long and I knew the haze of tranquillisers enough to know that was why. Did they get Seph out?   
Genesis? Dead. Angeal? Dead. Sephiroth is as good as dead. Right.   
Everyone was dead. 

But not me. I almost laugh, always the odd one out. I realised the pain that my heart should be in was numb, my head soft and fuzzy. They must have had me under since that day. Grief later, action now. 

The door the person exited through was crushed at the electronic seal, and was slamming lazily open and closed and bizarrely still no alarm sounded. Looking at the security of the room this should be a high alert situation. I don’t like luck, but it’s all I have. 

I look around for something to cover my body and find a lab-coat stuffed into a locker. With nothing to arm myself with I kick a leg from under a table a figure it will make as good a beating stick as any. No shoes is a bit of a pain but it is manageable. I jump up and down to shake off the cobwebs, jab the air a few times and swing the table leg. I quickly run to a wall and jump from it to check balance. It all checked out, and other than my senses being completely dulled my body was working just fine. I had no materia to speak of, no armour and some residual nausea from ripping a tube from my stomach. But I had my name. 

Timing myself just well enough to sneak through the oscillating door I was out into a dark corridor. I began to run, no use wandering slowly when I will have no better idea where I am either way. Getting out quickly is the best option. I run turning left, quickly noting a camera facing further into the hall and I jump vertically to knock it down. There was no need to do that in all likelihood, no light was on to show it was still active. The door at the end was completely mangled, and I could see another laboratory space through it.   
This room unlike where I had been was vast, even sporting a battle chamber. There had to be a phone, I could call a pizza place or an inn somewhere to get an idea of the time. The year. I could try to gauge just how dire this situation really was.

My search was not yielding results, plenty of papers now dating five years into the “future” and even a hand device, though uncharged with no energy outlet to speak of. I almost vomit as I notice the sounds of a keycode being typed in. The person obviously on edge as the code was wrong the first time. Why wasn’t that door also crushed?  
I hold my vomit down and crouch behind a desk. A set of two footsteps enter the room and for a while... nobody speaks. 

“I thought she would have torn out of here by now.” A man spoke, with a somewhat drawling accent. “You know how she is. But maybe her legs don’t work anymore, god knows what Hojo was doing… Looks like nobody has been here in awhile. How long did The Pres have a tracker on the chamber?”

Shit, it’s Reno.


	2. Junon

Rufus had a tracker in the room? And the alarm hadn’t gone off? All good signs, but I can’t be hasty. 

“She probably hasn’t left the facility, Reno. The tracker has been there since The President found her location, so she has to be awake.” The voice was clearly Rude. 

I wait behind the desk as they move through the room to the mangled doors at the other side. 

“Huh? Opened from the outside? So she didn’t just wake up and smash her way outta the place?”

“Seems so.”

“Well, who came in here? No sign of forced entry on the first door. Weird, I don’t like it. Let’s just get her and get out.”

The fuzz in my head was growing and I couldn’t understand exactly what their mission was, and as the vomit was quickly rising I made the only choice it seemed I had. 

“Reno, Rude. It’s me-” I managed to choke out, rising from my crouched position only to vomit down the stolen lab-coat. Disgusting. The two men turned round in shock and Rude raised his gun. Reno clocking on just quick enough to run over and grab my crumpling body. “I’m going to lose consciousness soon. Can I trust you?” 

“Sure can. You look like shit”

“Thanks.” I looked over and noted that Rude had lowered his gun and was making a call. “Are we in Midgar HQ?” 

“Yup. Not for long though - The Pres has been on house arrest, though I guess you missed most of that. You were a bit tied up at the time. Anyway, gonna fly outta here sharpish and get you to Junon Harbour - hey, you listening?”

Blackness. 

-

I woke up in a sunny room, huge windows overlooking the ocean. I hadn’t been to Junon in many years, the last time I was here was with all three of them… Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth. The clear water was unmistakable, even from here I could see the ocean bed and the vibrant coral resting there. I was hooked to an IV but my head was clear and checking the bag I noted that it was simply saline - I felt well rested, strong even. I couldn’t remember a thing from the journey here and I could only just remember being found by Reno and Rude.

Standing I realised I was wearing clothes, in fact they were my clothes. Who had collected them? Dragging the IV with me I did a quick survey of the room, the wardrobes were full of my old clothes and new clothes just my size. Fresh bundles of flowers were next to the bed, which must have been expensive. And there it was - oh my god. A bundle ever so carefully packaged leaning against the furthest wall. I could feel it, my sword, its energy rippling through the air intertwining with mine. My materia must still be in it. 

Before I could collect the blade from its shackles the door opened and Reno appeared. “Oh? You’re awake.” He paused in the doorway.  
  
"Reno? Who did all of this?”

“The VP. Eh, Rufus.”

“How long have I been gone?”

“Five years.” 

Suddenly, I felt the vacuum in my chest burst and from it all of the grief and regret sprung. Unfamiliar tears stung my eyes but they didn’t fall. At least Reno was alive, Rude too, and Rufus. Those three at least. Not that they were particularly close to me, they were just Turks. But they were Turks I knew. Rufus, he was something else entirely but I was happy he was here. 

“I thought when I woke up that maybe… everyone was dead.” I wanted to say it was nice that he was here, but I couldn’t. I wanted to hug him and say thank you for getting me out but again, I couldn’t. Who was the last person to hold me, out of kindness?

“Well, not us at least. I guess most of your people… Anyway, I guess. Uh, The VP wants to see you and he is gonna get here in about thirty mins so if you wanna get ready go ahead. Don’t wanna overwhelm you right away but things are gonna happen quick-”

“What do you mean?”

“The Vice-Pres will explain more, but we are going to mobilise soon and I think the plan includes you.”

“How soon?” I ask, moving back to my weapons slowly unloading. Gears in my head finally turning unencumbered by tranquilizers. 

“He will explain more.” Reno said, moving further into the room. He reached out gently placing a hand on my shoulder, no words but I understood. “Don’t worry - the plan is air tight. It’s going to work.”

“Okay.”

A noise sounded from outside the room, like an elevator announcing its arrival. Reno took his leave and left me to get ready. I gathered my sword, reconnecting to it and sending it away to be summoned later. A skill shared uniquely between Sephiroth and I, the very act of it reminding me of him. The memories won’t fade just yet, but one day they must.  
I opened the closet looking to change into something more battle ready and was hoping for just what I found, my Soldier uniform.

I quickly changed out from the soft loungewear I had been put in (by who?) and finally felt secure, hugged in by thick knit and leather the feeling of the clothes more akin to a second skin. From the belt still hung the silver wing charm. I guess I will leave it on. The memories of before Nibelheim were still mine, and my friends once lived. Twin switchblades fitted nicely at my thighs and gun slotted in the holster fitted snug to my ribs - I was as ready I would be. 

“Perfect timing.” I said as Reno stuck his head round the door, signalling me. “However you guys got all my gear here I don’t know. But thanks.”

“That was Tseng.” He replied leading me out into the great expanse of the living area, open space with beautiful plush furnishings. I looked around and finally my eyes landed on Rufus, he looked much the same, not any worse for wear considering the house arrest. Handsome as ever. 

“Seraphina - you are well?”

“Thanks to you and the Turks.”

“You don’t remember much, I hear?” 

“Nothing since Nibeleheim.”

“There will be much time soon enough to go over everything with you. But for now I hope this will do.” He gestured to a seat and sat waiting for me to join him. “After some begging I was able to convince my father to keep you alive. They had tranquilized you near to death after Nibelheim, afraid that you would go the same way. They were going to neutralise you but I made a deal with Hojo. Sorry, but it was the best I could do. It must have been very unpleasant.”

“It has been five years?”

“Exactly. It has been time enough to come up with a cohesive maneuver - I am going to take the seat at HQ. We have infiltrated a terrorist organisation and they are going to do most of the work. In return for saving you, I need you to be my Soldier.”

“Look, I’ll do it. Happily. But I don’t understand why I am needed considering you have the Turks. If it's just a case of taking control from the old man, not to seem arrogant, but I may be overkill.”

“I agree. But you are my insurance, incase of unknown variables.”

“Fine. On one condition.”

“You aren’t in a position to be bargaining-”

“I want Hojos head.” 

Rufus looked shocked, but only for a moment before letting loose a happy chuckle. “Look, we can’t do that right away. Loose ends must be tied - but I promise you can do the honors when the time comes. Acceptable?” 

“Acceptable. I have one more question.”

He nodded, go ahead. 

“Was Sephiroth's body recovered?”

He shook his head, no. “Tseng will brief you. We will fly out to Midgar tonight - I am sorry for the rush.”

“Rufus-” I called out as he began to leave. “When this is over I don’t promise to stay.”

He looked over his shoulder, giving nothing away and saying nothing he made his exit. I stayed seated as I waited for Tseng to arrive.

Five years had passed and his body hadn’t been recovered. They must have looked hard for it considering the use it would have brought even after death - Hojo must have been disappointed. I didn’t want to consider his survival because if he were to be alive, well, it couldn’t erase what he had done. It would mean that it would inevitably fall to me to try to take him out and I wasn’t confident it could be done or that I would be able to do it when the time came. But his body, I would try to find it. I should be able to let him rest peacefully.

After that, it would be best that I also leave the planet. But not just yet.


	3. Jump Early

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bit of a short one - will make it up soon

The air was cold, tearing through the helicopter and drowning out all noise that wasn’t coming through my headpiece. They had Shinra troops loaded into the back, what rank I wasn’t sure of and I didn’t ask. Dark Star was sprawled in front of Rufus, waiting and watchful. 

When Tseng had explained to me what they were planning I had realised the extent of what we were undertaking. It had been so long since I had been out and so much had changed. The current president was squeezing every last bit of life from Midgar and though I had reservations about Rufus's wishes I had more faith in him at least. I had some confidence in his integrity. 

What did intrigue me was that the call for evacuation had come from a splinter cell, and one whose members were not fully accounted for within Avalanche. These were the unknown variables. 

“Sera-” Reno broke through the howling wind and I heard him through the earpiece. 

“Yes?”

“Do you think you can jump early?”

I looked to Rufus who nodded. 

“Didn’t you know I hate surprises?” I asked sarcastically, already making a move towards the exit. 

“Well- plans changed. Get in the lower levels. Listen out.”

“Got it. Tell me when.” I stepped closer, watching the Shinra building getting bigger. Leaning down to Rufus, I spoke close to his ear. “Are you sure? This is Daddy Dearest.”

He gave me a solem, barely perceptible nod and with Renos ‘go’ I leapt out. 

Somewhat out of tune with my body I felt a bit of fear upon making impact with the nothingness that was freefall. A rope quickly dropped out of the helicopter and I grabbed it using the swing to propel myself towards the glass. The floor must have been in the 50s, but I didn’t have time to make an exact estimate before my feet were making impact and smashing through.   
I rolled through the glass struggling to find my feet and tumbling through chairs. The food hall? A beautiful tree sprawled up through the middle of the double height room, it was certainly the food hall. Sprinting, I knew where to go. 

Up here, past the battle simulator. Right, smash the electronic panel and break the door. Forward, forward. Up the stairs, keycard needed. Not right now, alarms were sounding and the ground was starting to shake. I smashed through. Feels good to be back, I though, honing in to how my arms felt in control.

But, wait, I had to slow down.

There was someone here, something else other than me that shared this burden. I learned early only that Sephiroth, Genesis, Angeal and I had a certain “feeling”. In the end, not just them but other soldiers too but I could never feel exactly who it was unless it was one of us four. This time it was strong, potent and rich with Mako but it wasn’t Seph, though the density was similar. I tried to lock in but I couldn’t. This made me nervous. 

“Reno - come in.”

‘Bit tied up. Boss has just dropped.”

“Who's up there.” The building shook. 

“Some punk. Causing a real mess.”

‘Great details. I’m going to make my way up - I don’t like this.”

“Huh? Whaddaya mean?”

“Out.” 

Bounding up through the floors I noted the lack of presence. Whoever was mobilising must be keeping to one floor and I haven’t reached it yet, or maybe it was the lower floor. 

Then it hit me, I was almost to the president's office and the air had become so thick with energy I couldn’t move or even breath. No. It couldn’t be. It shouldn’t be. 

“Seph-” I croaked out, still strangled. The building was shaking but I couldn’t make my feet move forward. “Ali...ve?”

Then there he was, I couldn’t see him but his voice was clear as day all around me. So all encompassing I was convinced it was just in my head. But that presence was real and I knew it. 

“Did you forget to thank your saviour?”

God, move. I have to move.


End file.
